Safeguarding Guidance

1.1 The Booking Organisation's Responsibilities

Schools, clubs, and organisations booking tours with Revel Tours are solely responsible for:

• The safeguarding and welfare of all members of their group throughout the tour
• Appointing a suitably qualified and experienced Group Leader with overall responsibility for the group
• Ensuring sufficient adult supervisors accompany the group at all times
• Maintaining appropriate adult-to-child supervision ratios
• Having their own safeguarding policy and procedures in place
• Ensuring all accompanying adults have appropriate DBS clearance (or equivalent) and safeguarding training
• Conducting their own risk assessments for the tour
• Obtaining all necessary parental/guardian consents
• Collecting and managing relevant medical and welfare information
• Briefing their group on expected behaviour and safety procedures
• Handling any safeguarding concerns that arise during the tour
• Reporting any incidents to relevant authorities as required by their own policies

1.2 Revel Tours' Role

As your tour operator, Revel Tours:

• Provides tour planning and coordination services
• Arranges accommodation, transport, and activities through third-party suppliers
• Provides tour documentation and itineraries
• Offers general support and assistance during the tour
• Can provide this guidance document to assist your planning

Revel Tours does not provide supervision services, safeguarding personnel, or assume any duty of care for group members.

The following supervision ratios are provided as guidance only. Booking organisations should determine appropriate ratios based on their own risk assessments, the nature of activities, and the needs of their group:

For reference, the following definitions are commonly used in safeguarding:

Child: Anyone under the age of 18 years.

Vulnerable Adult: A person aged 18 or over who may be unable to take care of themselves or protect themselves from harm or exploitation due to mental health issues, disability, age, illness, or other circumstances.

Safeguarding: The action taken to promote the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and protect them from harm.

Group leaders and accompanying adults should be trained to recognise potential signs of abuse. The following categories are provided for reference:

Physical Abuse

Deliberately causing physical harm, including hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning, or otherwise causing physical injury.

Emotional Abuse

Persistent emotional maltreatment that impacts a child's emotional development.

Sexual Abuse

Forcing or enticing a child or vulnerable adult to take part in sexual activities.

Neglect

Persistent failure to meet basic physical and/or psychological needs.

Peer-on-Peer Abuse

Abuse that takes place between children, including bullying, harassment, and initiation rituals.

Group leaders should ensure all accompanying adults receive appropriate safeguarding training before the tour.

Booking organisations should ensure all adults accompanying their group adhere to an appropriate code of conduct. The following is provided as guidance:

Recommended Behaviours:

• Treat all children and young people with respect and dignity
• Provide a good example and be a positive role model
• Ensure activities are appropriate for the age group
• Report any concerns to the Group Leader immediately
• Maintain appropriate professional boundaries at all times
• Ensure another adult is present in one-to-one situations where possible
• Respect young people's right to privacy

Behaviours to Avoid:

• Engaging in rough physical games or inappropriate physical contact
• Using inappropriate language or making suggestive remarks
• Allowing allegations to go unreported
• Showing favouritism to any individual
• Giving personal contact details to children
• Communicating with children via personal social media accounts
• Taking photographs of children on personal devices without appropriate consent

It is the booking organisation's responsibility to brief all accompanying adults on expected conduct and to take action if these standards are not met.

All safeguarding concerns must be handled by the booking organisation in accordance with their own safeguarding policies and procedures.

Group Leader Responsibilities for Concerns:

1. Follow your organisation's safeguarding policy and procedures
2. Document the concern in writing as soon as possible
3. Report to your organisation's Designated Safeguarding Lead
4. Contact relevant authorities as required by your policy
5. Do not investigate - leave this to trained professionals

If a serious incident occurs that may affect the tour arrangements, please inform Revel Tours so we can provide logistical support where possible.

Booking organisations should establish their own photography policies. The following guidance is recommended:

• Obtain appropriate consent from parents/guardians before the tour
• Brief accompanying adults on your photography policy
• Consider whether children should be photographed in certain situations
• Establish rules about use of personal devices
• Determine how images will be stored and shared

Revel Tours may take photographs during tours for marketing purposes. Groups will be asked to consent to this at booking. Any group member may opt out of marketing photography.

Revel Tours will provide accommodation details in advance. It is the Group Leader's responsibility to:

• Review and approve rooming arrangements
• Ensure rooming is appropriate for your group (age, gender, needs)
• Ensure children are not accommodated with unrelated adults
• Allocate adult supervisors appropriately
• Brief the group on emergency procedures at each accommodation
• Ensure appropriate supervision throughout the stay

If you have specific accommodation requirements, please discuss these with us at the time of booking.

In the event a group member is reported missing, the Group Leader should follow their organisation's missing person procedure. A typical procedure may include:

1. Immediate headcount - confirm who is missing
2. Search the immediate area - while keeping remaining group members safe
3. Contact local authorities - if not found promptly, contact local police
4. Inform parents/guardians - as per your organisation's procedures
5. Inform Revel Tours - so we can assist with logistics if needed
6. Document the incident - record all details and actions taken

The decision on when to contact authorities rests with the Group Leader. Do not delay contacting emergency services if you believe someone may be at risk.

The following contacts may be useful for UK-based organisations:

Revel Tours arranges services through third-party suppliers including accommodation providers, transport companies, and activity providers. While we select reputable suppliers, we do not conduct safeguarding audits of these suppliers.

Booking organisations should:

• Conduct their own risk assessments for all activities
• Request additional information about suppliers if required
• Brief their group on safety procedures at each venue
• Maintain supervision during all activities